WWhich is better - beach or bush? Visitors to South Africa want both, and will travel the country far and wide to get the full experience. But what if you could get the full experience all in one place?

Cape Vidal is situated between two completely diverse environments; the Indian Ocean forms the sea barrier, while inland, wildlife and birds can be seen at the iSimangaliso Wetland Park, which is a World Heritage Site that is on the other end of the environmental spectrum.

CCape Vidal is named after Captain Alexander Thomas Emeric Vidal, a British Royal Navy surveyor responsible for charting the African coast during the 1820s.

CCape Vidal is also a popular leisure destination. Here, visitors can enjoy the four S’s: swimming, surfing, sun-tanning and snorkelling. The water is clear and there are fantastic underwater reefs. To see marine life in action, put your goggles on and get under the water. For certified divers, take a guided tour. When swimming early in the morning you might even join the dolphins, who come very close to the shore.

HHowever it’s not only underwater; from the north, Humpback whales make their way down the coast, followed by game fish such as marlin and sailfish. Over the summer, especially from November to March, Cape Vidal is the area that endangered loggerhead and leatherback turtles come to lay their eggs. As with many wildlife sanctuaries in SA, this is a protected zone.

Inland, the Greater St Lucia Wetland Park is home to incredible birdlife, vervet monkey troops, and on the eastern shores, reedbuck, hippo, crocodile and buffalo. You can choose to go with a guide or follow a trail leading into the wetlands around Lake Bhangazi.

On the northern coast, Cape Vidal is part of the iSimangaliso Wetland Park World Heritage Site. Other areas that make up this Park are Sodwana Bay, uMkhuze, Kosi Bay, False Bay and Maphelane. Nearby, if you’d like to see even more game, head to Hluhluwe-Imfolozi Game Reserve, a park famous for rhino and the Big Five.

Unsurprisingly, Cape Vidal is very popular, especially over summer. Because of its protected status, space is limited and it is advised to book as soon as you can. It’s also a malaria zone, so you’ll need to take preventative medication for three weeks before you arrive.